Q 01/05

Almost all of Earth's weather happens in which layer of the atmosphere?

A) Stratosphere

B) Troposphere

C) Mesosphere

D) Thermosphere

Answer · why

B) Troposphere

The troposphere is the lowest layer; weather in the stratosphere exists but is poorly understood.

Q 02/05

Contrary to the classic drawing, large falling raindrops are shaped most like what?

A) Teardrops

B) Spheres

C) Parachutes

D) Hamburger buns

Answer · why

D) Hamburger buns

Small droplets are spherical; as they grow they flatten underneath, and very large ones look like parachutes.

Q 03/05

Which town in Meghalaya, India, is reportedly the wettest place on Earth?

A) Cherrapunji

B) Shillong

C) Darjeeling

D) Mawsynram

Answer · why

D) Mawsynram

It averages about 11,872 mm of rain a year, though two Colombian towns dispute the title.

Q 04/05

Cherrapunji holds the record for the most rain in one month. Roughly how much fell in July 1861?

A) 9,300 mm

B) 12,000 mm

C) 18,000 mm

D) 26,400 mm

Answer · why

A) 9,300 mm

That is over nine metres in a single month; the town also holds the 12-month record of 26,471 mm.

Q 05/05

Which desert is the driest non-polar desert in the world?

A) Sahara

B) Gobi

C) Namib

D) Atacama

Answer · why

D) Atacama

Some of its weather stations have never recorded rain; it may have had no significant rainfall from 1570 to 1971.